Willow Tree
by roselilysmith
Summary: "This is not a lovestory"


As usual, Rose would come early in the morning to sit on the same bench and start studying for her afternoon classes at uni. Things didn't go good at home, but at least she was grateful she got the chance to get away from that environment. Growing up as an only child, in a small town like Wimberley , would have sooner or later turned her into a selfish girl who wanted nothing more than to leave that 'stupid town' with all that 'stuck up people' who never got to know her nor what she really wanted. Every morning she would wake up and say the same old phrase she'd been saying since she and her family had moved there 'I hate this place. I hate this people. I hate this house' . But let's not get to this right now, especially now that Rose is trying to focus to understand more of what Shakespeare really meant to write that time he wasn't thinking a 20 year old girl would be sitting on a bench, listening to the relaxing voice of the frontman of Cigarettes after sex, secreatly hoping she would one day be as half as good as he once was .  
«The earth has music for those who listen».  
Rose really liked that quote. All of her life no one wanted to listen to _he_ r music. No one wanted to get that close to make a promise they'd have to keep or , at least, try their best to. Rose didn't want to remember those times, she has left all of that behind. Or, at least, she thought she did.  
But that day it felt different. The sun was shining bright and the weather was chilly in Buffalo. Autumn was coming and it was the season Rose loved. The one she'd feel safe, wraped in her long baggy sweather that would protect her from the cold air. The wind, another thing she loved .  
But also because that fourth of october she would have met the one who'd become the love of her life. She didn't believe in that 'thing'. 'Love'. 'True love'. That she would be able to find someone who would feel nothing but love for her and wanted to promise her the so longed 'forever'. She thought she didn' t deserve to be loved .  
But, in the deep of her heart , she knew she was a sucker for it. A hopeless romantic. So, she kept listening to her music trying not to obssess over the fact that the boy she's been crushing over for the last couple of weeks had just been sitting next to her on that bench. That fourth of october. She knew he was looking at what she was pretending to read on that second handed book , but she didn't have the guts to turn to right and look that boy in the eyes. Oh, his beautiful green- blueish tired eyes she'd been falling for.  
The boy, on the other hand, found Rose so fascinating because he never caught her 'checking him out' like the other girls had been doing everytime they'd seen him going around. Wether he was alone or with his brother. He just happened to see her once looking at him from that bench and immediately looking away when she saw she was 'caught'.  
Oh, and the second after she blushed. She felt so stupid that time. Yeah, he knew that girl was different.  
As soon as he saw her trying to skip the current song he decided it was the time to finally 'man up' and speak to her.

« Hi »  
« Hey »

That blush, again. Rose was getting so nervous right now and she didn't want to look like a snob, or stupid. Ever again. So, she decided to 'man up'.

« Saw you here in the last couple of weeks. Are you a student of Buffalo's University?»

She knew she had already seen him somewhere, but she wasn't able to resemble where exactly.

The boy let out a small laugh, and right after he couldn't stop a genuine smile to creep on his face.

« Uhm, no, actually. I went to NYU tho, almost two years ago. »  
«Oh, and what did you study?»  
«Archeology»

He couldn't help but smile. After a really long time, he saw in those big brown eyes genuine interest. She didn't have a clue of who he was. And he liked that. He felt the freedom of choosing to be whoever he wanted to, but eventually he chose to be himself. It was all he got.

« That's impressive. You look quite young to be honest. Oh, and...I hate history»

Now was Rose's time to smile and for  
once she didn't care how she looked when she did so. She didn't control that emotion, and that made her feel weird, anxious.

« That's a thing a lot of people say to me quite often. And to be honest, it's pretty cool actually. I mean, I thought too it would be about dinosaurs and whatever but it actually turned out to be about other people and cultures as well. What are you studying at uni?»

She didn't like to talk much about that. She was afraid people would judge her as a wannabe and laugh at her. But she couldn't just turn into a mute person right away. So, fighting the crimson cheeks that we're threathing to appear again, she openend her mouth looking down at her vans

« Oh, I ...I study literature. To my surprise, this course includes also the history of art, wich I grew on to be really fond of»

«Art. _History»_

He said that as an attemp to stay serious, but he couldn't help to let out a smirk eventually.

«Yeah, but it's different» Rose said giggling.

«Yeah, yeah, you don't fool me misterious lady. Feel a bit like a creep to ask but, may I know your name?»

He seemed to be so polite. And she didn't have to pretend he was funny . He really was . He made her forget all that has been haunting her until that moment. Even if it was for that little chat. She was sure she'd never see him again. He was vibrant. Funny. Charming. She...well she thought she was Rose. And that was about that.

« My name's Rose. What's yours?»

« I'm Cole. Nice to meet you. »

They shook their hands and Cole felt a cold chill on his spine. He was nervous. Rose felt her cheeks heaten. Again. She was nervous.

« So, misses Rose, care to keep me company for a good cup of coffe and tell me why the history of Art is so special and archeology not?»

He tried his best this time to mantain an offended face. Failling, because Rose was already giggling.

« Sure , mister Cole. I've got all the time. Until 12. Classes start then».


End file.
